Occupational Hazards
by the Mirage Prismatic
Summary: When the Legionnaires find themselves drawn into a conflict across time after Imperiex breaches the rift between the 41st and 31st Centuries, B5 turns to the past for answers. Cartoonverse, slightly AU
1. Chapter 1

I wrote this quite a while ago, dug it out of my computer's drive, polished it up and posted it.

My 'Sunrise After Death' Fiction is on hiatus while I attempt to reboot it. This one is completed with four chapters so I shall be posting everyday from now until Sunday.

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><p>In Season 2 of the Legion of Superheroes, the Legionnaires found themselves drawn into a conflict across times as Imperiex breached the rift between the 31st and 41st Centuries. With New Metropolis lain to waste in the midst of war, riots and flames and many Legionnaires trapped in Takron-Galtos by the very prisoners who were there themselves, the young heroes are forced once more to turn to an old friend from the past. Superman, the Man of Steel.<p>

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><p><em><strong>Occupational Hazards<strong>_

_**Chapter 1**_

Genre: Adventure/Friendship

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><p>31st Century New Metropolis, Star Cross Hospital<p>

"What we need to do is regroup." Brainy reasoned, stepping in front of Lightning Lad. The remaining Legion Founder looked as if he was going to blast Superman X with lightning-not that it would do much good against a Kryptonian.

Lightning straightened and nodded in agreement. "Phantom Girl, are there any able-bodied Legionnaires available?" Brainy asked.

"You're looking at them."

Brainy frowned and exchanged looks with Lightning. "Do we have to time to call in freelancers?" Lightning wondered.

"Well, we do have _one_ Legionnaire still available." Bouncing Boy said as he entered the room.

"Good thinking."

"Actually, I'm a bit concerned about that." Brainy interjected.

"What are you talking about?" Superman X demanded.

Lightning stared at him. "Explain."

"Imperiex has already breached the timestream to the past-our present. If we bring Superman from the 21st century when he's such a large part of our past history it may strain the chronos-spatial continuum-"

"Translation." Lightning demanded.

"The time-space continuum." Brainy translated. "Bringing Superman here for an extended period of time may do more harm than good, especially since the future is already disrupted and now our present is also in danger of being disrupted. And we are the Legion of Superheroes-founded to give us a place to redeem whatever grievances we had before, to forge a future for ourselves without waiting for others to ditacte the future we live in. If we keep relying on Superman, from the past, how are we suppose to do that?"

There was a silence as the Legionnaires contemplated this thought.

"But we need _people_." Chameleon Boy said.

"How 'bout this, Brainy?" Lightning suggested. "Summon Superman but only for _this_ mission. We need to rescue the others and when we do we can start gathering freelance heroes and send Superman back. We all know quite a few freelancers who can take on Imperiex's armies."

There were nods all around.

"So you want to bring back Superman-" Superman X said.

"But only for this mission." Phantom Girl finished. "And you-whoever you are-you need to get into the teamwork thing."

SX scowled at her.

"Sounds like a plan." Bouncy agreed.

"Good. We're all in agreement." Brainy nodded. "Phantom Girl, do you still have that emergency time-bubble I gave you?"

"Right here." Phantom Girl said, pulling it out and handing it to him.

"Thank you. I won't be long." He promised, inputting his desired coorindates and vanishing in a golden flash of light.

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><p>~~*~~21st century Smallville~~*~~<p>

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><p>Martha Kent hummed to herself as she vacuumed the hallway carpet, the buzz of the vacuum nearly consuming the other sounds coming from the outside. The radio was playing loudly from the bedroom down the hall.<p>

"_And we return to the scene from the mid-Atlantic where several military vessels have run into trouble in the form of angered rebel Atlantians. Superman has joined forces with several other heroes to assist the beleaguered vessels. When diplomacy failed it was time to a different approach. We will return to further coverage of this battle shortly but now it's time for the weather..."_

The routine peace of her day was suddenly interrupted by a flash of gold light spilling from under the locked door of Clark's old room followed by a crash and a metallic clang. Her head jerked, thoughts of panick flooding her head. The lightbulb had exploded, something had crashed into their house, one of Superman's enemies had uncovered his secret identity at last and found his family-

There was a groan from Clark's room. Martha turned off the vacuum quietly, picking her way across the floor. It sounded like the intruder was dazed. There was a sigh followed by the rattle of wood and scrapings of metal.

"Can't he keep his ring _with_ him?"

Martha's brow furrowed in confusion as she drew the key out of her pocket, slowly unlocking the door. The intruder on the other side of the door froze. His retreating footsteps could be heard and she threw open the door, wondering if confronting him was the smartest thing to do. She stared, mouth dropping open at the sight of a boy with blonde hair and _green_ skin.

Or was it skin? The light glinted off the skin so perhaps that was the source of the metal clang she had heard. The window and wall was intact so he didn't crash through it but the bed was in pieces. There was just something familiar about the boy...the way he carried himself, his stature, the clothes he wore.

He smiled and bowed respectfully in the Japanese style. "My apologies for intruding. I am Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Superheroes. Is Clark home?"

Martha stared and then broke into a smile. "Brainy? Wow...I didn't recognize you! You've really grown up!"

"Thank you," he straightened, his face turning grave. "We never did thank you for the hospitality after the local Fair,"

"Clark told me all about it," she assured him. "Is something wrong?" She waved him out of Clark's room, wincing at the sight of the obliterated bed. Brainy turned back, frowning at the damage.

"My apologies, the time-bubble tech was suffering from some integrity malfunctions." He glanced at his arm, activating a few switches and pulled out a curiously shaped device. He pointed it at the bed and with a flash of gold light it was as good as new. Martha tried her best to keep a straight face. "And yes. We're in the middle of a state of crisis."

"Oh." Martha murmured as they stepped out into the hall as the radio broadcast continued.

"-_And while Superman's taking care of our military who is watching Metropolis? Lois Lane of the Daily Planet is, at this moment, running for her life eighty stories above ground at the mercy of the merciless Metallo and his gang of hired thugs but no one seems to be able to reach her and no one has seen any of them since they entered the construction site. We can only hope that someone will reach her in time."_

Martha gasped in shock. "Clark will never forgive himself."

"Well, we can't have that," Brainy muttered, already calculating how long it would take to get to Metropolis from here. "I think I'll need to cheat..."

"Wait, where are you going?" Martha asked as she ran after the android running down the stairs.

"To Metropolis," he replied just as the doorbell rang.

Martha ran for the hall closet and pulled out a trenchcoat. "Here put this on and go out the back!" she whispered frantically. "Hurry!"

"Thank you," he nodded as he obeyed, slipping the coat on as he exited through the back door. "_Cloaking activated,_" the armour announced. He could hear the door creaking open from the front as he took flight, the sonic boost mode activating as he turned on his holo-cloak. He quickly disappeared high into the skies, merely a distant speck to the people below.

He adjusted the time-bubble tech to a few minutes before. He felt nothing after the flash of gold momentarily disrupted his vision but if he used his armour's zoom focusers he could see himself crashing into Clark's room from here. He examined the second Legion ring, clutched in his hand and stowed into his trenchcoat pocket. He looked like a normal teenager with his holo-cloak on: blonde hair, jade-green eyes, peach skin lacking the brainiac symbol and he was wearing a white shirt and jeans.

"Time to work."

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><p>As you can see, I am adjusting the events of the show a bit.<p>

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

_My apologies-I forgot to post yesterday. I had to get ready for a brunch (which happened today) with taking care of the hair and picking clothes and being tortured by a friend as she yanks out all the dead hair from my head. My head was very much sore afterwards and then I fell asleep._

_Thank you **Philosophizes** for the review,** tradess5** for the favorite and **ForeverChocolateRose**s for the Story Alert._

_May I present chapter 2._

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><p><em><strong>Occupational Hazards<strong>_

_**Chapter 2**_

Genre: Adventure/Friendship

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><p>~~*~~ 21st Century (Original) Metropolis~~*~~<p>

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><p><em>Okay, maybe this wasn't the smartest of ideas.<em>

Lois Lane, journalist of the Daily Planet had had her share of occupational hazards even before Superman had come along. Heck, when she went after the Silver Dice gang before Superman had appeared, she had sent two of them to the hospital courtesy of heavy crowbar, five of them to a sinking boat they had to be rescued from, three more had run to avoid capture and she had sent herself to the hospital with a minor sprained ankle because she had forgotten there were _eleven_ crooks not ten.

But they went to jail and she had gotten the story about the drug dealing and weapons smuggling and that's what counted. These days, maybe she was taking too many risks, always able to depend on Superman to bail her out.

However, with Superman reportedly in the middle of the Atlantic with several other heroes trying to rescue a small fleet of military ships and her on edge of one of the top floors of an unfinished skyscraper with three guns pointed at her, she would dare say her career of occupational hazards would come to an end with her death.

She found it ironically that she had traded her usual lavender suit for the suit with the red jacket and black skirt.

"Now, Ms. Lane, we don't need to go through all this drama."

Lois suppressed an eyeroll as Metallo melted out of the shadows from behind the row of three gunmen. "Just give us what you have collected and we'll call it a day. We'll even escort you to solid ground,"

"No thanks," Lois snapped in defiance and maybe out of stubborn pride, clutching the backpack she had hastily shoved evidence into.

"Ms. Lane, I would urge you to reconsider my offer given your rather precarious position," he chuckled.

"I wouldn't trust you if were the last man alive!"

Lois slipped her hand into her hidden pocket, fingers stirring the cache of smoke bombs. There were benefits to having Bruce Wayne/Batman as a friend.

Metallo gestured to the gunmen and the safeties unclicked just as she whipped her hand out and hurtled a smoke bomb to the ground. It exploded in a cloud of smoke, blinding the enemy and sending the gunmen into a fit of coughs as she burst into run for the makeshift elevator.

"After her!" Metallo bellowed, flapping madly at the smoke. The gunmen coughed but obeyed scrambling after her as one took the steps.

Lois scrambled up the cage of the elevator and siezed the orange ladder, climbing as swiftly as possible in high heels (and she was an expert at running in heels.)

She quickly got ahead of her pursurers taking shelter in a hidden aclove five levels above her starting point and pulled out the cellphone in her jacket pocket, taking a breather as she speed dialed Jimmy.

The wind whipped around her, making her very aware of the sheer drop between here and the ground. This building was as tall as the Daily planet with its monstrous globe on top.

"_Hello, Jimmy Ols-"_

"Jimmy, it's Lois."

"_Ms. Lane, where are you?" _The young photographer sounded exasperated and relieved at the same time. "_I've got the best photos of the-"_

"I'm on top of the new LexCorp building," she interrupted.

"_But that's—"_

"Still in progress, I know. Some help-any kind of help-would be appreciated. Ah!" A bullet pinged off the beam she was standing on and she looked to see two more gunmen, drawing their weapons as one aimed at her.

"_You need a super-watch,"_ Jimmy muttered. "_Don't worry, I'll get there."_

He cut the line just as the cellphone was shot out of Lois's hand. She took off, hearing the spray of bullets ping against the girder beam. "Not good, not good, not good..."

"Ah!" Another spray of bullets startled her, sending her careening wildly on the beam. She jumped, grabbing the overhanging one as her heart nearly bottomed out at the sight of the ground so far below.

Metallo's laughter was snatched, carried on the wind to her ears. "Ms. Lane, if you recall there is no Superman here to save you," He drew a knife from his pants pocket as she scrambled back along the beam with shifts of her hands, trying to make sure she didn't fall to her death. "Goodbye, Lois. It's been a pleasure." He twisted his face in a grotesque smile as he raised the throwing knife above his head.

Lois gasped as the sunlight glinted on the knife and screamed as one hand slipped off, sending her off to the side just as the knife sliced the air where she had been seconds before. Why did she always get herself into these things? The backpack was weighing her down and her fingers were sweating, slowly slipping off the rail.

"You're going to die either way, Ms. Lane," he taunted as a spray of bullets startled her...and her hand slipped off her hold.

_NO! _Her heart bottomed out as she began to plummet through the air. Her heart jumped in her throat as the wind howled in her ears, whistling and mocking her. She heard Metallo's laughter.

The sun flashed in her eyes and she was probably gonna be dead before she even hit the ground.

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><p>Chapter 3 will be posted tomorrow.<p>

Please Review


	3. Chapter 3

:( I am bad at this 'update everyday thing'. It's every other day now. I shall claim to post tomorrow but it'll probably end up being Wednesday instead.

My apologies and thank you to **Philosophizes** and** ForeverChocolateRoses** for reviewing. :D

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><p><em><strong>Occupational Hazards<strong>_

_**Chapter 3**_

Genre: Adventure/Friendship

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><p>When Lois let go of the beam and started falling through the air her heart jumped in her throat as the wind howled in her ears. Her life did not flash before her eyes as she had heard it would but she preferred it this way. She closed her eyes and waited for the end.<p>

"I don't think that is the wisest course of action." a voice called as a strong but cold hand clamped around her arm. It was nearly jolted out of its socket but it was better than falling as someone slung her into bridal style hold.

"What on-" she choked gasping for breath as she looked up at her mysterious rescuer. It was a kid; a normal-looking teenager with blonde hair, jade-green eyes, peach skin and he was wearing _a white shirt and jeans _under a trenchcoat_._"Uh…do your parents know what you're doing?"

"My family has given their blessings." he assured her.

Metallo's roar of rage echoed in her ears as she glanced back at the unfinished skyscraper.

"They're shooting at us!" she announced just as a hexagon patterned magenta barrier formed around them. The bullets pinged off uselessly as the boy slipped a ring on her finger.

"Hey, hey, what's the ring for?"

"To help you fly," he explained.

"I can't fly."

"I know. But I need my hands free,"

"I already fell twenty-five stories today," she objected.

"Actually, it was only ten. It just _seemed_ like more." he explained. "You can relax." The boy looped her arm off his shoulder and she nearly screamed but then discovered she was floating just as easily as he was.

"Oh! This isn't so bad,"

"Told you," the jade-eyed boy smiled just as the sound of a clicking gun alerted him. He whirled on the air, towards the offending gunman on the rooftop and shot off a burst of magenta energy that sent him flying as the gun melted in his hand. "Land!" he called, zooming towards the skyscraper.

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><p>Lois decided to attempt landing on a rooftop and waiting there to make sure the kid was alright. After some floundering she managed to land and sat down heavily with a sigh of relief.<p>

"How does Superman do it?"

She glanced around, cautiously peering over the edge. The drop was dizzying but everyone's attention seemed to be focus on the action across the street.

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><p>Brainy swerved through the air, annoying the gunmen as they kept up a steady barrage of bulletfire. "It isn't that hard to hit a flying teenager!" Metallo snapped.<p>

"Obiviously, you are mistaken." Brainy quipped, projecting his bubble shield. The bulletfire pinged off uselessly and in the pause as they struggled to reload, he dropped his shield and fired off a shot of magenta energy, blasted the platform beneath Metallo and his men to pieces and sending them in a hurtling freefall to the ground.

Brainy dove after them headfirst, quickly matching their falling speed as their cries of panick rang on the air.

"Who do you think you are, flyboy?" Metallo spat. "Some sort of Superman-to-be?"

"No. Just performing a community service, gentlemen. I suppose you'd like me to catch you?"

"Please, please anything!" one of the gunmen begged.

"You'll go to jail." Brainy pointed out.

"We don't care!"

"How sad," Brainy sighed, projecting a magenta shield around Metallo and the gunmen. They crashed into the shield, their descent halted as Brainy gently brought bubble to the ground.

"Incompetent fools!" Metallo snapped.

"Well, to be fair if I hadn't shown up, your odds of success would be substantially higher," Brainy reassured the glowering villain from the air as several cop cars pulled up.

"Lieutenant Inspector Dan Turpin MPD SCU (1)," a broad-shouldered man with black and gray hair presented his badge to Brainy who raised an eyebrow. "We appreciate the help but we'll take those criminals of your hands."

"That would be helpful." Brainy dropped his shield but left the guns and Metallo's kryptonite battery in a small bubble. "Now...how do I dispose of this?" he sighed as the cops teamed up to lift the un-moving heavy Metallo into a waiting armoured truck and handcuffed his minions.

Brainy glanced around activating his telescopic vision to spot Lois on a rooftop. Deciding she could get off that building via the stairs and he could find her later, he took off through the skies to get rid of the kryptonite.

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><p><strong><em>Over the Atlantic, a Green Lantern Platform<em>**

"Looks like they'll be alright." Superman said in satisfaction from their position on Green Lantern's sky platform a good couple thousand feet above the ocean. Batman was poking around in the cockpit of his Batwing, not entirely trusting of the emerald green platform keeping them suspended.

"Thanks for the help, ladies." the Green Lantern John Stewart, shook the hands of both Fire and Ice. "It could have messier than it had to be."

"No problem." Fire smiled easily as her partner nodded in recognition. "It was a pleasure working with you all."

"Likewise." said Superman. "Batman say thank you."

Fire hid a giggle and Ice smirked in amusement as Batman glared down at the Man of Steel then flicked his gaze over to the female heroes. "Thank you." Then he went back to his computer, scowling at it.

Fire jumped into the air and lit up her powers, green fire wreathing her fire-immune body. She seized Ice's arms as she took off. "Anytime, boys!" She blazed off into the sky, trailing a stream of green fire.

"I'm glad that's over with." Superman sighed in relief as the two women receeded into the distance. "Where did Aquaman vanish too?"

"Under the sea." Green Lantern said. "I better get going myself."

Batman activated the engines full throttle and nodded. "Ready."

Green Lantern let the platform go, nodding to Superman and Batman before taking off.

"Where are you going then? Back to Gotham?" Superman asked easily keeping pace with the Batwing as it gained speed.

"Metropolis." Batman said, pointing at the newsfeed on his computer. "Some nonsense about Metallo, Lois and a new hero."

"What? !"

"She fell off a building." Batman continued. "And a new hero saved her life. She needs more survival lessons. And this new hero-no name at the moment-he took off with Metallo's power battery."

Superman clenched his jaw. "Let me see this."

Batman opened the hatch a crack to throw a PDA at him and hastily shut it again. Superman caught it just before it would have hit his head.

On the PDA was a freezeframe of Lois hovering in mid-air alongside a fair skinned boy with jade-green eyes and clean blonde hair in a cow-lick style. Both of them had a glint of gold-a ring-on their right pointer fingers.

_How is _Lois flying _of all things..._

He took a closer look at the rings and realized they both had the unmistakeable Legion 'L' and Star.

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><p>(1) Metropolis Police Department Special Crimes Unit<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews, **ForeverChocoloateRoses** and **Philosophizes**! I'm rather glad FCR decided to break her fan-silence. :)

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><p><em><strong>Occupational Hazards<strong>_

_**Chapter 4**_

Genre: Adventure/Friendship

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><p>~~*~~Daily Planet, After Hours~~*~~<p>

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><p>The Daily Planet was practically empty this time of day especially since most of the reporting staff was out trying to look for that new hero.<p>

"Who saved you?" Jimmy Olsen was distracted from his photos, staring at Lois in amazement. "It wasn't Superman. _He_ was in the middle of the Atlantic while you were risking your life _again."_

Lois waved off his rebuke. "I got the evidence to the MPD, the bad guys busted and a great story for the front page." she finished off her paragraph and smiled in satisfaction. "That's a good days work in my book."

"Who saved your life?"

"Calm down. It was a kid. I didn't even get his name," It was after hours and the excitement about the new hero had sent all the others scurrying to find him but Lois didn't move; he'd come back for the ring. Hopefully.

"Hey, what are you guys do here so late?" Clark Kent walked over, his blue suit jacket slung over his shoulder.

"None or your business, Smallville," Lois huffed. "You, as usual, have been _gone_ all day."

"Anything about the new hero yet?" Clark asked, ignoring her hostility. "I saw it on the news."

"No not yet. But everyone's hell bent on finding him," Lois replied, sighing at Jimmy's persistent tapping on her shoulder. "What is it?"

"Uh…Ms. Lane? He's floating out there," Both Lois and Clark turned to look, stunned to see the kid wearing street clothes and a trenchcoat and floating outside the window, shadowed by the light of the dying sun. "Do those open?" Jimmy asked as Clark jimmied to window to let him in. "Oh."

"I see you've survived your day," the kid noted with a small smile at Lois as he drifted inside.

"Yeah, thanks to you."

He waved off the thanks with a dismissive hand. "Just doing my job."

"Hey, what's your name anyway?" Jimmy asked aiming his camera at him. The boy frowned as his eyes shimmered magenta and the camera leaped into his hands as Jimmy yelped.

"No pictures please. You can have this back when I leave. You may call me Q12."

"Q12?" Clark said, raising an eyebrow with a faint smile. "Interesting codename."

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><p><em>"How do you know he's always right?"<em> _Clark whispered to Triplicate Girl as the android busied himself looking through the cruiser maintence logs._

_"I'm a twelfth level intellect." the Coluan android explained, sounding offended. "Though I may not have all the answers, I am rarely wrong when it comes to things like this."_

_"As you can see, Querl's the confidante type." Triplicate Girl said. "Sometime it ventures dangerously into cocky arrogance."_

_"Luornu!"_

_Triplicate girl luaghed._

_"Who's Querl?" Clark questioned._

_"Brainy's real name."_

_"Triplicate Girl..."_

_"What? We're all friends here. Relax, Q."_

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><p>"It was my sister's idea." Q12 explained, sounding insulted. "May I have the ring back?" He directed this at Lois.<p>

"Sure." Lois dug into her pocket where she had been keeping it safe and dropped it into Q12's waiting hand. "I knew you'd come back for it-doesn't look like something you want to lose."

Clark only got a glimpse of the flash of black and gold before Q12 dropped it into his pocket and button it shut.

"Thank you."

"I should be thanking you. You save my life. Where ever your parents are, I'm sure they're proud of you."

"Thank you for your kind words." Q12 gave a short bow to her and nodded respectfully to Jimmy and Clark. "I should be going." He glided over to the open window, standing on the edge before drawing his arm in a sharp salute-his arm forward in a L-shaped bent with his golden ring facing. The light of the dying sun passed over his face before he tilted back and let himself fall.

Jimmy gasped and rushed to the window. "My camera!"

Lois rolled her eyes and joined Jimmy by the window. Q12 was gone. "Your camera's right here, Jim." she said, pointing at it sitting on a nearby desk.

"Where's Mr. Kent?" Jimmy asked.

Lois glanced around for the broad-shouldered reporter. "When _did_ Smallville go?"

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><p>~~*~~ The Roof~~*~~<p>

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><p>"Was it your intention to save Lois?" Superman asked.<p>

Brainiac 5, still in his human guise as Q12 glanced over his shoulder at Superman from the edge of the Daily Planet's roof and activated something on his arm so a ripple of light shimmered in the form of a large bubble shield but it quickly disappated.

Superman glanced overhead curiously.

"It's not a solid barrier. It's a dampener-to block any satellites from seeing or hearing anything on this rooftop. I was double-checking it. And in answer to your question, no and yes. I followed the signal of your ring here and happened to hear a news report about Lois fighting Metallo.."

"She what?"

"So I decided to help her seeing as you would be incredibly upset and find every possible way to blame yourself."

"Okay so if you didn't come here to just save Lois, what _are_ you here for?" Superman asked.

Brainy's amused expression sagged into worried lines and he looked back into the setting sun. "We have a problem. Bigger than the Fatal Five. Much, much bigger."

"What is it?"

"A _war, _Superman. Most of the Legionnaires have been taken prisoner and we have to fight a war against a being from the 41st Century."

Superman's eyes widened in shock as he flew over to his old friend. "Tell me everything."

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><p>The android had finished telling Superman a brief sum-up of the Legionnaire's changes over the past four years; he warned that they now had several new recruits, about the name changes with the older Legionnaires and mostly importantly about the catastrophe that they had accidentally unleashed on the thirty-first century.<p>

"-And now the beings of the galaxy, both in the distant future and my present remain highly at risk. Whatever future occurred in response to Imperiex's arrival in the 31st century, I do not believe anyone wishes to see,"

"Me neither. It can't be good. What else happened?"

"Colossus and Cosmic Wave are both out of action of an indefinite time period," Brainy sighed. " Matter-Eater is temporarily...insane,"

"O...kay..."

"And Saturn Girl is comatose,"

"Comatose?"

"Yes but her healing trance is kicking in. She should be fine in a few weeks,"

"Oh, that's good." Superman sighed.

"We do have new recruits and allies,"

"Allies?"

"Superman X." Brainy explained. "He is from the 41st century, a clone of you created to stop the threat of Imperiex. He is very much different from your disposition."

"Can't wait to meet him then." Superman grinned.

Brainy sighed. "Okay then. It's time to leave. But I must warn you."

"What is it?"

"You cannot stay as long as you did when you first met us."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "Brainy, it sounds like you'll need all the help you get. You said this is a _war_."

"Yes but we have other friends-we are simply unable to call them at this time. You are from _this_ time." And Brainy stretched out his hands to the rest of the original Metropolis. "And the timestream is already in flux. You have such an impact on this world-your presence in another time will threaten the balance of your home time. This will be a brief visit. Will you still help us?"

Superman drooped; he'd been looking forward to seeing everyone again, saving the world with the Legion. Kids yes but sometimes the other heroes he occasionally worked with-Green Lantern and Batman were much too...stiff. He didn't have a team here-just occasional alliances. For the most part, he was on his own. The Legion had always been able to lean on each other-something he had missed in the last few years.

"Superman?" Brainiac 5 asked. "If you come looking like that Phantom Girl will be worried."

"Just thinking. Of course I'll help. I can't believe you'd even _ask_."

Brainy nodded. "I'm glad to hear it. The others will be happy to see you." Brainy said, activating the time bubble. "Let us be off."

They both stepped into the time bubble and it disappeared in a flash of light.

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><p>Yes, I changed some things from the show. I MAY add a chapter 5...but for now it's complete.<p> 


	5. Bonus Chapter 5

I decided to post a bonus chapter. :D Thanks for the favs, alerts and reviews. This chapter makes the story complete, I swear. Enjoy

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><p><strong>Occupational Hazards<strong>

**BONUS CHAPTER ****5**

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><p>31st Century, New Metropolis Star Cross Hospital<p>

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><p>"What's Superman <em>like<em>?" Chameleon Boy asked after five minutes of contemplative silence and of waiting for Brainy to come back.

"Not like Superman _X_." Lightning said from his chair, pointing at Superman X who was leaning against the wall.

Superman X scowled at him. "Kell-El."

"Wha?" said Cham.

"My name is Kell-El." Superman X explained. "Obviously, having two people by the same name is already confusing enough. And he's not even _here_ yet."

Phantom Girl exchanged a look with Bouncing Boy and checked the chronosdial on her ring. "That's strange. Brainy should have come back the instant he left."

"Maybe the time-bubble was damaged?" Bouncy suggested. "We were hit pretty hard in that attack."

Phantom Girl sighed, glancing over at Timber Wolf and Chameleon Boy who were both trying to comfort their adoptive 'sisters'-the two remaining Triplicates.

"I'll be your Triplicate!" Cham was saying. "Well, not exactly but I'll fill in! Don't worry. We'll get her back we promise!"

"Where's Brande?" Phantom Girl whispered. "We haven't heard from him since the attack. He'll want to know how his kids are doing. Especially Trips."

Bouncy shrugged, unusually subdued. "I was thinking of changing my name."

"Wha?"

"Bouncing Boy isn't really someone you'd take seriously." he pointed out, glancing around the room. Cosmic Wave and Matter-Eater were lying in beds at the end of the ward carefully supervised by a small team of floating white helper drones and sentient medics. The Emerald Empress had been moved to a holding room and was being detained by Science-Police.

Lightning was leaning against the glass of the neighboring room where Saturn Girl had been moved to keep her in a contained, safe environment that was psychically shielded so she would receive no interference in the midst of her healing trance.

"What were you thinking of?"

"Ricochet."

Phantom Girl smiled. "I think that's a good name, Bouncy." she patted his gravity-defying hair. "But what are we going to do?"

"We'll fight them." Trip-Luornu announced boldly. Lightning, Kell-El, Phantom Girl, and Bouncing Boy turned their attention to Orange and Purple Luornu as they stood together, shaking off helping hands from Timber Wolf and Chameleon Boy. "We have to. We have to save the others, gather forces and defeat Imperiex."

"Saving the others is a waste of time!" Kell-El snapped.

"No, it is NOT!" Purple Luornu screamed. "We were Triplicate Girl and suddenly, thanks to _you_ having an apparent _lack _of manpower, we are Duo Damsel! It was your inability to fight alone that made this happen!" She waved an arm at their fallen comrades and viciously pointed to the war-torn cityscape beyond the windows.

The Chief Medic observing the fallen Legionnaires opened her mouth to ask her to lower her voice but noticed none of them were paying attention and decided to simply activate the sound-proof force barrier instead.

"If we go rushing after Imperiex without the support we need, without a plan, we will be scattered, split, broken! There is nothing more painful than to _literally_ lose someone, a piece of yourself who is closer than a sister! Because Alba _was_ me! _Us_! Tripods do not stand on two feet! That's why they are called _tripods!_ Now, I must cope and I have to depend on the team but I can't when _there is no team!_ This is our world now, whatever you are calling yourself, so you need to shut up and help or get out!"

Kell-El's face twisted in rage but a flash of golden light interrupted any further screaming matches. The light formed into a golden bubble that faded away, revealing two persons-a dark-haired man and a blonde fair-skinned teenaged boy.

The hologram rippled and dropped, revealing Brainiac 5 as Superman glanced around. "What's with all the hostility?"

* * *

><p>Shortly after the tension was diffused and old friends were reunited, Kell-El left the room, unable to stand the atmosphere. He found himself in the hall, staring out into the war-torn landscape.<p>

Triplicate Girl—now Duo Damsel had flown out as soon as she had said her hellos to Superman immediately followed by Bouncing Boy. Brainy held Chameleon Boy back with a shake of his head but Kell-El had left.

"_**It was your inability to fight alone that made this happen!"**_

_She's right. I failed. _

"So you're calling yourself Kell-El then?" Brainiac 5's voice broke through his thoughts and Kell-El opened his eyes. Superman was looking at him curiously. Kell-El scowled.

"Superman meet Kell-El." Brainy introduced. "Stop scowling Kell-El—it makes you that much harder to work with. We need to go over our plan for the rescue and then for defeating Imperiex."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Superman said, trying to be friendly. "I'm sure you'll be a great addition to the team."

"I'm not-"

"If you want to get Imperiex, you _will_ be." Brainy promised. "You didn't do to well fighting him by yourself the first time, did ya, future boy?"

Kell-El's eyes flashed as Brainy turned on his heel, walking away from the two Kryptonians and back towards the medical ward.

"Why are so against this team thing?" Superman wondered.

Kell-El didn't answer and stubbornly stared out the window.

"_**It was your inability to fight alone that made this happen!"**_

"I know we're suppose to be related but you remind me a bit more of a friend of mine. Strong-willed, bit of a loner. And when it came time to be apart of a team he resisted. And he never liked but he does admit that he did more good apart of that team than he ever did alone."

"What's the point of saving a few when we need to worry about saving trillions?"

"Because saving these few will _help_ us save trillions." Superman said.

"_It was your inability to fight alone that made this happen!"_

_"He is so not a teamplayer."_

_"Why don't you both go? And let the rest of us destroy destructobots in _peace?"

"_Imperiex's threat is too great. You need help."_

"We'll be stronger together."

Kell-El jolted from his thoughts as he and Superman both turned, seeing the two remaining Triplicates, holding hands, their eyes filled with pain. Kell-El swallowed-there had been a third one there.

_"In a war, there will be casualities. Sacrifice."_

**-My fault. I made this happen because I couldn't fight my own fight. I owe them.-**

_Don't ever owe anyone a debt. Pay it back-no matter what it is._

Kell-el clenched his fist together, closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. "Then let's save your friends."

* * *

><p>Now it is complete. It sort of just...veered to Kell-El. I didn't mean for that to happen.<p>

:D Yeah, sue me, I'm rewriting canonical events. :P Some things just didn't make sense to me. (Or the story just went in it's own direction...) Anyway, this inspires more Legion fiction in the future. Look forward to that.

Review! (Please)


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